Cabelas or Hodgman Brethables....Niether, I Bought Sedge

Cabelas Brethables

Their high-end breathables are reputed to be very good, but I've never tried them. This is based on their older top of the line Gore-Tex waders, which Americans love to fish in. The material felt very close to the Simms regular Guide Weights. I don't think their new top line waders are Gore-Tex anymore, but I haven't looked in a while.

Their lower end Dry-Plus waders are crap. I bought a pair a while ago and used them a couple of times here in the LM with no problems. Then I went on a trip to Montana, and the whole thigh area started to delaminate on my second day there...which really ticked me off. The good thing about Cabelas is that they don't ask much for returns...the bad thing is that you are dealing back and forth through the mail.

Their neoprene waders are of excellent quality and are a great value...just in case you are wondering about those. But breathables are the way to go, even if they don't last as long.

Good luck.

Cabelas Brethables

Have you checked out ebay yet? I did what the person a few topics down did. Three years ago I purchased a pair of Orvis Silver Label hiking boot foot waders from someone on ebay (a wholesale shop) for about 80 bucks. One of the boots sprung a very small leak (probably from a hook penetrating the boot). It wasn't that bad (my foot was just a little damp after a day of wading). I took them down to the orvis retail store down by bellevue (near seattle) and they offered me a credit for what the full retail price of the waders were (240 bucks!) I promptly applied the credit on a new pair of pro guide II waders which were only about 40 bucks more. The Simms g3 waders may be a bit better but the pro guide II seem to be very thick and strong.

Lets face it, all breathables will leak eventually and most likely before an equivalent pair of neoprenes. Its important to choose not just for quality but also for the service.

Re: Cabelas or Hodgman Brethables

Steelie Trav:

My cousin in Seattle has been fishing with Hodgman Wadelites for a few seasons now. His first pair leaked after about a year, and they replaced it with a brand new pair. That second pair has so far been leak free for a couple of seasons now.

My impression of them is that they are definitely in the "lightweight" category. The material does not seem as thick or durable than the other more expensive waders. For around that price, there are a bunch of breathable waders that you can take a chance on. My feeling is that you will probably have some good pairs, and some pairs that will leak soon after purchase. Seems to be typical of that lower end waders.

If you spend any amount of time in them at all in a typical season, my advice would be to at least get yourself into a pair of Simms Lightweight Gore-Tex waders. At least they are really breathable and will last you a while.

Good luck.